Pilgrim count at Amarnath cave crosses 1-lakh mark, 2 more die

Srinagar: The number of pilgrims who have paid obeisance to the holy ice lingam at Amarnath shrine in South Kashmir Himalayas crossed the one-lakh mark today, even as two more devotees died of heart attack, taking the death toll during the Yatra this year to 12.

As many as 1,12,143 pilgrims have paid obeisance at the holy cave since the pilgrimage started on June 28, a spokesman of the Amarnath Shrine Board said here today.

A record number of 18,994 pilgrims performed darshan of the ice lingam today, the spokesman said. With an improvement in the weather condition along the route of the Yatra, the pilgrims who travelled towards the holy cave today from Baltal and Chandanwari as well as those who had to stay at intermediate camps yesterday paid obeisance today.
Meanwhile, a police official said two pilgrims, both from Chennai, died of heart attack on route to the cave shrine today.
K Renuka (67) died of heart attack outside the holy cave while J Arumugam (61) died of same reason at Brarimarg, he said. With the two fatalities, the death toll of Amarnath pilgrims this year has gone up to 12, the official said.